Ugly carrot with pumpkin seed dukkah( SERVES 6 )

We like to say our new restaurant Culprit is a haven for secondary cuts and the unloved, a place where my friend and business partner Jordan and I can showcase the often overlooked ingredients of our fine country. It’s a philosophy that keeps us stimulated in our new kitchen, hidden above 12 Wyndham St. It also creates memorable experiences for our diners.

A favourite dish since our opening has been our ugly carrot. The idea came when I noticed a hungry chef chowing down on the leftover vegetables from a large stockpot. I had a taste, and it was phenomenal — the carrot had sucked up all the flavour from the stock and though it had lost some of its texture, the softness reminded me of humble home cooking.

I serve this with a dukkah made with pumpkin seeds and a house-smoked yoghurt. I've seen smoked yoghurt at gourmet stores like Sabato and Nosh. It can be quite powerful so I recommend mixing it with a little Greek or unsweetened yoghurt. If you want to have a go at smoking your own yoghurt I recommend Smokai cold smokers, or you could place the yoghurt in a shallow tray and sit it over a container of ice in your regular smoker because, you know, everyone has a smoker at home these days!

Directions

To prepare the carrots

Wash the carrots well to remove any dirt. Place in a suitable sized braising dish. Coat with olive oil and season well with salt and black pepper. Pour over the chicken stock and add the bones.

Bake in the oven for about an hour, or until extremely tender when poked with a knife.

Allow to cool on the bench until room temperature. Slice in half lengthways.

To make the dukkah

Heat canola oil over a medium heat. Fry pumpkin seeds until golden brown and slightly puffed. Drain on paper towels and season with the sea salt. Roughly chop and add to a bowl.

In a pan toast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until aromatic and roughly grind in a mortar and pestle. Then combine in the bowl.

Toast the sesame seeds and place in the bowl. Add the turmeric and combine all together.

Allow to cool entirely before storing in an airtight container. It will last a few weeks.

To serve

Heat a pan over medium heat and brown the carrots on both sides in a little cooking oil. If your carrots are particularly large and ugly they may take some time in the oven to get hot all the way through.

Once hot, place cut side up on a plate and top with dollops of smoked yoghurt and a generous sprinkle of pumpkin seed dukkah.

Dedicated to food and wellbeing, Be Well is The New Zealand Herald's weekly Monday magazine that celebrates your relationship with food. Be Well offers recipes and kitchen tips contributed by some of New Zealand's most talented cooks and chefs, reviews and insider knowledge on where to eat in New Zealand and abroad, gardening and fresh food tips as well as new trends to help you live well. Be Well – Your recipe for life.